World Refugee Day: Recognising the courage it takes to rebuild a life

Anna Yassin - Migrant Services and Advocacy Manager

20 June 2026

This Refugee Week, we reflect on the theme of Courage and recognise the strength it takes to rebuild a life after displacement.

At Glass Door, we work with refugees who have already been through immense challenges to reach safety. Many have experienced conflict, persecution, family separation and long periods of uncertainty. For many people, receiving refugee status is seen as the end of a long and difficult process. In reality, it is often the beginning of a new set of challenges.  

Once refugee status is granted, people have just 42 days to leave asylum accommodation and establish themselves independently. Our Casework team supports people through this transition every day. Increasingly, we are seeing refugees struggle to secure housing within that timeframe. This is not because people are unwilling to work or build independent lives. It is because they are entering a housing market that is becoming harder to access for anyone on a low income. 

Finding a home in London is challenging even for those with stable incomes. For refugees, who may have no savings, no rental history and limited support networks, the barriers are often greater. As a result, growing numbers of refugees are experiencing homelessness shortly after being granted the right to remain in the UK. This is often framed as an issue of migration or integration. In reality, it is also a housing issue. Refugees are entering the same housing market that is already failing many people. A shortage of affordable homes, rising rents and increasing competition for accommodation mean that securing somewhere to live within 42 days is an unrealistic expectation. 

The impact is felt across the homelessness sector. Charities that are already responding to record levels of homelessness are also supporting growing numbers of refugees who are at risk of homelessness or have nowhere to go after leaving asylum accommodation. Services have adapted because they have had to, but this is a pressure that continues to grow. 

At Glass Door, this is not a theoretical issue. Since 2023, we have seen a significant increase in the number of newly recognised refugees seeking homelessness support. Increasingly, people are approaching our services shortly after leaving asylum accommodation, often with very limited options available to them. This reflects both the shortage of affordable housing and the challenges many people face navigating the transition from asylum support to independent living. 

There is a clear contradiction at the heart of this issue. As a society, we make the decision to grant refugee status to people who need protection and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. Yet too often, people are expected to navigate a housing crisis with little time and limited resources. When that fails, homelessness services are left picking up the pieces. 

The refugees we support want what most people want; somewhere safe to live, the opportunity to work, and to contribute to the communities they now call home. They bring skills, ambition and determination. What many struggle to access is the stable housing that makes those things possible. A safe home is about more than a roof over someone's head, it provides the foundation from which people can rebuild a life. 

This Refugee Week, we recognise the courage it takes to rebuild a life after displacement. We also recognise that courage alone cannot overcome structural barriers. If we are serious about providing sanctuary, housing must be part of the conversation. That means ensuring people have enough time to move on from asylum accommodation, access to specialist support during that transition, and a realistic route into stable housing.